Today marks 99 days until Commencement. It’s a very bittersweet feeling. While I’ve had an amazing time over the past four years here in Bristol, I’m ready for a new challenge, a new adventure, and a new location. Which is why I’m super stoked I’ve been offered admission to four grad schools in the UK (UCL, Goldsmiths, Royal Holloway, and Queen Mary)! While I’m still waiting to hear from some more schools in the US, Canada, and a few more in England, getting in somewhere is an amazing feeling. I remember getting my acceptance letter to Roger Williams and how that changed my life- allowing me to spend the past four years with an amazingly dedicated faculty, an incredibly welcoming student body, and be a part of a truly spectacular campus community. Hopefully, in deciding my plans for postgraduate study, I can find a place like Roger Williams to engage my mind, body, and spirit. I’ll keep you posted, as I should know definitively what I’m doing in May.

I’m taking a slightly less intense semester (this is the first time in a while I haven’t taken 6 classes), as I’m only in three traditional courses that take place in the classroom. I’m also engaged in two independent studies- the first, being my political science thesis (something to do with libertarianism, still hammering out the deets) and the other being run through the Community Partnership Center, doing research on maritime history at Bristol’s own Herreshoff Museum. It’ll be an interesting experience, putting my theoretical skills as a historian into practice- digging through archives, doing independent research, and potentially finding something groundbreaking.

Spring semester is definitely in full swing with events- two that I’m particularly looking forward to are Senior Pub Night and Steak and Ale Night. And I can’t not mention Commencement Ball… I’m really just in awe that I’m a senior in college. I feel like I usually mention the passage of time in each of my blogs, but am just dumbfounded that four years have nearly elapsed.

My friends and I are making plans for careers, future study, and real life is imminent. When did we get so old? Somewhere between nap time and writing my thesis I guess…

My prolonged absence can probably be explained by my celebration of thesis being done (I present tomorrow!) and realization of all the rest of the work I need to do. I also have to do ANOTHER thesis for my second major, so to quote Jay-Z, “On to the next one.”

I had a weird moment where I realized that I was registering for classes at RWU for the last time. Ever. Since I had a brief existential crisis as a result, I thought, why not take Existentialism? Additionally, I’m taking History of Religion, Crime and Dissent in Early New England, and Leadership in American Politics. I’m doing an independent study for my Political Science thesis, so I’m still figuring out what I’ll be researching ad nauseam until April.

I took the GREs. Don’t do it, ever. It is one of the most soul crushing, life-force sucking four hours you will ever be subject to. Or just study more than I did.

It’s been a whirlwind semester as Academic Affairs chair of Student Senate- from planning Grad School Month, to running Professor of the Semester, to investigating a faculty member. But, I am Academic Affairs chair no longer. I’ve been promoted due to a vacancy left by our former Student Body Vice President, Kevin, who is graduating early. He leaves behind very large shoes to fill, but I have high hopes that I can do the job.

Senate’s last big event for the semester is Winter Illumination on Wednesday, December 5th from 4.30-5.30. Come and get free cider, hot chocolate, gingerbread people and for the chance to win some cool prizes.

I feel as though it was only just September and I was buying textbooks for my classes and now it’s time to sell them back, having (hopefully) skimmed read all of them. Crazy town.

I’ll check in again before finals, because there is nothing I love more than procrastinating by doing other semi-productive work. Some things never change.